Scottish Executive

Countryside Premium Scheme

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects payments to be made under the 2000-01 Countryside Premium Scheme.

Ross Finnie: The introduction of a new IT system necessary to satisfy EU requirements has led to delays in the issuing of annual management payments. The first of these payments was issued on 4 December 2000 and payments continue to be made as claims are processed. There have been no delays in the payment of claims made in respect of capital items under this scheme.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to revise Police (CC) Circular No. 3/1990, Investigations of Complaints of Domestic Assault.

Mr Jim Wallace: The need to produce a new police circular on domestic abuse will be considered in the context of the National Strategy to address Domestic Abuse in Scotland, which is working on the development and circulation of good practice guidelines and service standards and their adoption by public, private and voluntary sector organisations across the country.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of domestic assault were prosecuted through sheriff courts in (i) 1998-99 and (ii) 1999-2000.

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of domestic assault were brought before sheriff courts between 1992 and 1997.

Colin Boyd: The information is not available.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prosecute all cases of domestic violence through sheriff courts.

Colin Boyd: There are no plans to prosecute all cases of domestic violence in the sheriff court. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service will continue to consider each case on its individual facts and circumstances.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average length of time is from charges being brought against an offender of domestic assault to the date of verdict.

Colin Boyd: There is no available information about the average length of time for a case of domestic assault to progress through the criminal justice system, from charge by the police to verdict.

  The Procurator Fiscal Service has set a target in its Strategic Plan for 2000-03, where an accused is not in custody, to take and implement decisions in 80% of all cases within seven weeks of receipt of an offence report, and to issue a summary complaint citation for a first diet hearing to be held within nine weeks of receipt. The scheduling of diets thereafter is for the local sheriff clerk.

  In custody and in solemn cases, the investigation and prosecution of offences is subject to strict statutory time limits.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that cases of domestic assault are dealt with as quickly as possible through the criminal justice system.

Colin Boyd: Internal departmental guidance to prosecutors emphasises the effect that delay can have on a victim’s resolve and instructs Procurators Fiscal to seek an early diet of trial, wherever possible.

  Where an early trial diet has been requested, the court will fix as early a date as possible having regard to the availability of diets and of the witnesses.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of domestic assault resulted in a guilty disposition between February 1998 and February 2000.

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what types of evidence the police take into account when seeking corroborative evidence in cases of domestic assault.

Iain Gray: The types of evidence the police take into account when seeking corroborative evidence in cases of domestic assault are no different from those in any other type of crime, although such evidence can be more difficult to obtain for a number of reasons. The police will take a statement from the victim and any eye witnesses, although it is less likely in such cases that there will be eye witnesses. Statements would also be sought from neighbours and from children present in the house, if appropriate. Police officers attending domestic incidents can also give evidence about what they found when they arrived at the locus, the condition of the victim, the actions of the accused and so on. In addition, physical evidence can be sought, such as photographs of injuries, medical statements about injuries and expert evidence about how injuries could have been caused. DNA, fingerprint and analysis of, for example, bloodstains can also be used, as can previous history evidence from police records.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of domestic assault were dropped by the Procurators Fiscal because of a lack of evidence in each year since 1997.

Colin Boyd: The information is not available.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many charges of domestic assault there were in each year between 1990 and 2000.

Iain Gray: There is no specific charge of "domestic assault". However, statistics on domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland are contained in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (CrJ/2000/5), published in August 2000, a copy of which is available in SPICe (Bib. no. 1770). The bulletin presents statistics on incidents of domestic abuse returned by the eight Scottish police forces between 1 April and 31 December 1999. This is the first time that such data has been collated.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times on average women are assaulted before they contact the police.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is currently conducting research in the area of domestic abuse. However, according to Yearnshire S (1997) "Analysis of cohort" published in Bewley S, Friend J, and Mezey G Violence Against Women, London, RCOG Press, in the context of domestic abuse it has been estimated that, on average, women are assaulted 35 times before they contact the police.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates exist on what proportion of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted at some point during their life.

Iain Gray: This information is not held centrally.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to enable national information sharing on domestic violence issues between it, non-governmental organisations, front-line workers and academics.

Jackie Baillie: The Action Plan of the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland includes a recommendation to develop links between local groups and the national group through information sharing and dissemination of good practice.

  As a first step the Scottish Executive is organising a Conference on the National Strategy to take place on 13 February 2001, to which non-governmental organisations, and local and national service providers have been invited.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is currently carrying out or planning to carry out on issues surrounding domestic violence.

Jackie Baillie: Reid-Howie Associates have been contracted to carry out an evaluation of the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust’s "Respect" educational package, which will be piloted in schools and youth groups in Edinburgh and Glasgow from February 2001. The report of the research will be completed by 31 July 2001.

  In addition, I have asked the Central Research Unit to commission research into male victims of domestic abuse. This research is likely to commence in the summer, with the final report being available early next year.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many treatment programmes for perpetrators of domestic abuse it is currently funding.

Jackie Baillie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-10179 on 30 October 2000.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of spousal homicide there were from 1978 to 1999 inclusive.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is detailed in the following table. The figures shown include all cases where the main accused was the spouse, separated/divorced spouse or cohabitee of the victim.

  Homicide victims1 where main accused was the spouse of the victim

  


Year 
  

Number of victims 
  



1978 
  

16 
  



1979 
  

13 
  



1980 
  

19 
  



1981 
  

16 
  



1982 
  

19 
  



1983 
  

17 
  



1984 
  

17 
  



1985 
  

15 
  



1986 
  

12 
  



1987 
  

13 
  



1988 
  

9 
  



1989 
  

23 
  



1990 
  

12 
  



1991 
  

10 
  



1992 
  

14 
  



1993 
  

17 
  



1994 
  

14 
  



1995 
  

13 
  



1996 
  

15 
  



1997 
  

7 
  



1998 
  

9 
  



1999 
  

16 
  



  Notes:

  1. Currently (as at 10 November 2000) recorded as homicide victims.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research into public awareness and perceptions of domestic violence it or the Scottish Office have carried out over the past 10 years.

Jackie Baillie: Research into public awareness and perceptions of domestic abuse was carried out by the Scottish Office in 1994, following the first domestic abuse advertising campaign. Similarly, research was carried out prior to the 1998-99 advertising campaign and repeated afterwards in order to gauge changes in attitudes. This research was repeated after the 1999-2000 campaign and will be carried out after the end of the current campaign on 31 January 2001.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to carry out research into attitudes and perceptions of domestic violence before, during and after the development of the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland.

Jackie Baillie: As stated in my replies to questions S1W-12713 and S1W-12706, the Scottish Executive is carrying out evaluation research of the Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust’s "Respect" educational package. This research will involve asking children and young people, as well as their teachers and youth workers, about their knowledge of, and attitudes to domestic abuse. In addition, research will shortly be carried out into attitudes and perceptions of the general public, in association with the current domestic abuse advertising campaign.

  A National Group to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland will shortly be established to oversee the implementation of the National Strategy. Decisions about future research will be taken by this group.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what structures are in place to ensure that its departments co-ordinate efforts to reduce the incidence of domestic violence.

Jackie Baillie: The Crime Prevention Unit of the Justice Department co-ordinates the work of Scottish Executive departments in tackling domestic abuse.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimated annual economic cost is of domestic violence in Scotland.

Jackie Baillie: The information requested is not held centrally.

Drug Misuse

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made for the distribution of the new resources for tackling drug misuse announced in September 2000.

Iain Gray: The Executive announced in September 2000 a £100 million package of new expenditure on drug misuse spread over three years from 2001-02 to supplement the significant amounts already being spent tackling the problem. Since then we have consulted extensively on how the extra resources should be deployed. We have also taken account of the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee’s recent report on its Inquiry into Drug Misuse and Deprived Communities.  In particular, we have noted the committee’s views on the significant links between deprivation and drug misuse. The Executive will respond fully to the report shortly.

  The Parliament endorsed Scotland’s drugs strategy, Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership, in January 2000. Since then the Executive and our partners have taken a number of significant steps. These include publication in May last year of the Executive’s Drugs Action Plan, and in December the launch of the first national targets for drug misuse. We published in October 2000 a review showing that current expenditure on drug-related programmes was over £140 million, with additional identifiable expenditure taking the cost of dealing with drug misuse to over £330 million.

  Drug Action Teams (DATs) have a vital role in bringing together all the agencies within a locality to deliver joined-up services addressing drug misuse in line with national objectives and targets and locally identified need. DATs will therefore require to "sign off" jointly agreed plans for the new resources, in combination with existing resources, whether they are directed to health boards, local authorities, Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) or other agencies. The three-year drugs budget will allow sensible long-term planning without the uncertainties of the past. DATs and the spending agencies will be expected to ensure that the extra resources are deployed for new and expanding drug services, and not used to fund existing drugs work.

  The Executive requires DATs to be accountable for plans to use both new and existing resources. Plans must focus on the outcomes to be achieved. There will be further work on the feasibility of identifying in detail all the resources being devoted locally to addressing drug misuse.

  These arrangements are set out in a package of information and guidance being issued to the DATs and agencies today. This includes new guidance on priorities and joint planning and commissioning. The complete package issued to the DATs is available in SPICe and on the Drug Misuse in Scotland website. It includes a table showing the sums involved, distribution arrangements, accountability mechanisms and what we have done to reflect the problems of deprived communities. The key points about what we want to achieve, for individual elements of the package in this distribution for the three-year period, are set out below.

  Treatment and rehabilitation are at the core of our efforts because without these services we will be unable to break the cycle of misuse which leads to the many other problems associated with drugs. That is why we have committed an extra £10 million for treatment services, and £21 million for rehabilitation over the next three years. We expect expenditure by health boards on treatment to increase those in contact with services for the first time by 50% to 16,500 by 2004. We are today notifying revised distribution arrangements, providing links with deprivation and need, for both new and existing treatment resources.

  Most of the £21 million additional funding for rehabilitation is being distributed to councils as new money within the local government financial settlement. Each council must ensure that the additional provision it receives under the package is spent on drug rehabilitation over and above its existing spend on substance misuse services. We recognise that this significant expansion of services will stretch the capacity of the statutory and voluntary agencies to cope. We are therefore setting aside provision to help meet the training needs of the additional staff which will be required.

  The £100 million funding package also reflected the priority we attach to treatment and rehabilitation in prisons. When we came into office we undertook to tackle the prison drug problem rigorously, and the £10 million new resources allocated to the Scottish Prison Service will enable them to make a significant increase in their treatment and throughcare provision.

  Training and employment bridges linked into treatment and rehabilitation in both the communities and prisons are vital because we know that the vast majority of problem drug misusers – over 80% – are unemployed. With the £6.5 million made available in the package we aim to assist 1,000 reforming drug misusers a year to prepare for training and employment. The funding will be channelled through Scottish Enterprise and the Highland and Islands Enterprise Board as the main focus will be on the New Futures Fund, which they run in their areas.

  Our criminal justice interventions have included piloting Drug Testing and Treatment Orders and action on drug courts. This work continues with the drugs spending package and we have provided £9.5 million over the next three years for community disposals to help drug-related offenders break their cycle of drug dependency and crime. The funds will be distributed by the Justice Department through the local authorities under the 100% funding arrangements for criminal justice social work.

  Our extra investment of £21 million for children, young people and families over the next three years will target key areas of work with young people. Some £18 million of the extra funding will be administered as part of the Children’s Change Fund announced last November. The programmes or projects eligible for support through the fund will cover the full range of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and community education approaches within the drugs strategy. The indicative allocations to local authorities take account of deprivation factors affecting children and young people. All applications must have the support of the local Drug Action Team. £4 million of the £18 million will be available from this April onwards. There will also be £1 million available to support diversionary activities aimed at combating youth crime.

  The remaining £3 million of this extra funding will support implementation of the recommendations of the School Drug Safety Team. This will include the development of further teacher training to meet the Executive’s commitment to ensuring that all children receive effective drug education.

  Over three years, £6.3 million is being provided for public awareness initiatives at both local and national level. There will be consultation to ensure that these resources are used to provide consistent and effective information about drugs for both the general public and for key target groups such as young people.

  Social Inclusion Partnerships are in areas with particular levels of deprivation and have already received £2 million for local drug misuse work. They will now be given a further £5 million. The funding therefore directly addresses the links between deprivation and drug misuse. DATS and SIPs will work together on joint spending plans.

  An important element in the drugs strategy is the need to ensure that efforts in the field are supported by good quality research and this will be supported by the £2 million provided in the drugs spending package.

  We want to see DATs properly equipped for the key tasks they face in implementing the drugs strategy. We are therefore providing funding to them from the £3.3 million we have made available for enhanced information and support for strategy implementation.

  We know that cracking down on the dealers is of vital importance to our communities. We have already made it clear that the funding of the new Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency will continue after the initial two-year funding period until 2003-04.

  But we will not rely on enforcement or any other single approach alone. With this package of measures we are continuing our balanced strategy combining action against the dealers with comprehensive measures embracing treatment, education and rehabilitation leading to new opportunities for former drug misusers.

  With this unprecedented package of new expenditure, the Executive is backing the Drug Action Teams, agencies and, very importantly, our communities in their efforts to tackle Scotland’s drug problems together. We now look to DATs and the agencies to ensure that these resources bring tangible benefits to those who misuse drugs and those suffering the wider effects in our communities, not least in hard pressed deprived communities.

Environment

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue instructions or make representations to all relevant bodies to investigate the source and cause of the low frequency noise around Largs, known locally as the "Largs Hum", and whether it has held any discussions with North Ayrshire Council on this matter.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Under the Environment Protection Act 1990, each local authority must investigate complaints from residents within its area about noise to determine whether such noise amounts to a statutory nuisance. If a local authority considers there is a statutory nuisance, it can then serve an abatement notice on the noise maker and, if the noise persists, the noise maker can be prosecuted in the sheriff court.

  I understand that North Ayrshire Council has made a thorough investigation of the so called "Largs Hum" and has concluded that the alleged noise does not amount to a statutory nuisance. Other local expert bodies have confirmed this conclusion. The Executive has also, as a result of this parliamentary question, made extensive enquiries about the issue but does not intend to intervene in this matter.

Environment

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will release details of the Action Programme measures which must be followed by farmers in the Ythan Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

Mr Sam Galbraith: A consultation paper on proposals for the Ythan Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) action programme will be released today. Arrangements have been made for copies to go directly to farmers in the Ythan NVZ.

  We must tackle the problem of excess nitrate lost from agriculture. It can affect the quality of our drinking water supplies and presents a risk to the ecological balance in rivers and the sea. Many farmers recognise the need to adopt sustainable practices which do not lead to environmental problems, but under European law all farmers in areas vulnerable to nitrate pollution are required to take action to deal with this type of diffuse pollution.

  The Action Programme measures we propose for the Ythan NVZ would require farmers to control the timing and rate of applications of nitrogen fertiliser and manures. These measures take into account environmental conditions within the catchment and the latest scientific and technical information.

  It is important that farmers understand the rules and what they need to do to comply with them and we will provide help in the form of guidance booklets in order to assist farmers in this process.

Health

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following his resignation on 1 December 2000, Mr Ron Smith, the former Chief Executive of the Common Services Agency of the National Health Service in Scotland, has received or is to receive any termination payment relative to the termination of his contract of employment over and above normal entitlements to salary, holiday pay and related matters accrued to that date.

Susan Deacon: This is a matter for the Common Services Agency. However, I understand from the Common Services Agency that any payment to Mr Smith will not be over and above any normal contractual entitlement on termination of a contract.

Health

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any claim for compensation in respect of the termination of the contract of employment for Mr Ron Smith, the former Chief Executive of the Common Services Agency of the National Health Service in Scotland, has been initiated by him or on his behalf.

Susan Deacon: This is a matter for the Common Services Agency. However, I understand from the Common Services Agency that no claim has been initiated.

Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were diagnosed with mesothelioma in (i) 1998, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2000, broken down by health board area

Susan Deacon: The numbers of newly diagnosed cases of mesothelioma registered for each health board, for the years 1995, 1996 and 1997 (the most recent years for which completed information is available) are as follows:

  




Year of diagnosis 
  



Health Board of residence 
  

1995 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

28 
  

26 
  

23 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

5 
  

5 
  

8 
  



Borders 
  

5 
  

2 
  

0 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Fife 
  

15 
  

10 
  

15 
  



Forth Valley 
  

5 
  

6 
  

1 
  



Grampian 
  

12 
  

20 
  

7 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

41 
  

56 
  

41 
  



Highland 
  

3 
  

6 
  

4 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

16 
  

15 
  

16 
  



Lothian 
  

18 
  

18 
  

14 
  



Orkney 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Shetland 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Tayside 
  

5 
  

8 
  

15 
  



Western Isles 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Scotland 
  

155 
  

174 
  

145 
  



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registration database, ISD Scotland, January 2001.

Scottish Executive Announcements

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to make any announcements during the parliamentary recess; if so, when any such announcements will be made, and why they will be made during recess.

Mr Tom McCabe: Yes. Government continues even when Parliament is in recess. Members continue to ask questions at these times. As Mr Ewing will know, he has asked around 150 questions during recesses.

Scottish Executive Consultation

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the consultations section of its website is kept updated to feature details of all consultation exercises being undertaken by it, including any second and subsequent consultations which are not included in the section at present.

Angus MacKay: The policy of the Scottish Executive is that all publications including consultative documents should be put on the Executive’s website. We are in the process of updating the website to make it easier for people to track the progress of consultation exercises.

Sexual Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of all victims of sexual assault were children, in each year since 1993.

Mr Jim Wallace: The recorded crime statistics collected centrally do not include information on the victims of the crimes and therefore cannot distinguish those crimes of sexual assault where the victims were children. The only information available derives from some internal research covering crimes of child sexual abuse recorded by the police in a three-month period. This research suggests that, although recorded crimes of child sexual abuse are rare, they represent a substantial proportion of crimes of indecency recorded by the police. The available information is given in the following table:

  Crimes of indecency1 recorded by the police in Scotland,

  1 January – 31 March 1999

  




All victims 
  

Children 
  

Per cent of crimes against children 
  



Rape 
  

188 
  

65 
  

35 
  



Indecent assault 
  

320 
  

86 
  

27 
  



Lewd & libidinous practices 
  

396 
  

315 
  

80 
  



Indecent exposure 
  

215 
  

80 
  

37 
  



Sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 
  

46 
  

47 
  

1022




Other 
  

67 
  

28 
  

42 
  



TOTAL 
  

1,232 
  

621 
  

50 
  



  Notes:

  1. Offences related to prostitution are excluded.

  2. By definition, sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 is child sexual abuse. The information collected for the research was extracted from different computer systems from those holding recorded crime data, hence the anomaly.

Transport

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be allocated to (a) the Freight Facilities Grant Scheme, (b) the Track Access Grant Scheme, (c) the Public Transport Fund, (d) Rail Passenger Partnership Funding, (e) the Infrastructure Investment Fund and (f) the Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme in (i) 2001-02 and (ii) 2002-03.

Sarah Boyack: Details of the allocations for these schemes for 2001-02 are as follows:

  Freight Facilities Grant Scheme - £6.136 million

  Track Access Grant Scheme - £1 million

  Public Transport Fund - £40 million

  The Rural Community Transport Grant Scheme is one of the three parts of the Rural Transport Fund. For 2001-02 the total allocation for the fund is £5.5 million. The allocation for rural community transport projects has yet to be determined.

  Final allocations for 2002-03 have yet to be determined.

  Rail Passenger Partnership Funding and the Infrastructure Investment Fund are matters for the Strategic Rail Authority.

Water Charges

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it will make to the statements by Glasgow City Council in a paper to its Policy and Resources Committee on 16 January 2001 and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in the December 2000 issue of COSLA Forward regarding the number of the poorest citizens in Glasgow and of the poorest households in Scotland who will be ineligible for assistance with water charges under its new proposals.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The submission from Glasgow City Council in response to the consultation paper Affordability of Water and Sewerage Charges is presently being considered as part of the consultation process.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the City of Edinburgh Council has been asked to promote a Road Closure Order for Holyrood Road and, if so, how far such a request has been progressed by the council.

Sir David Steel: The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that the application for the closure of Holyrood Road was submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) on 17 October 2000. I understand that the application has been discussed by the CEC Development Control Sub Committee, who have in turn referred it to the Scottish Executive Transportation Committee for consideration.

Translation Services

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what translation facilities or services are in place for MSPs and staff within the Parliament complex.

Sir David Steel: Contracts are in place to provide a simultaneous interpretation of languages other than English when they are used in formal business in the chamber and committees and to assist the public information office’s work in support of the Parliament. In respect of parliamentary requirements, there is also a wide range of expertise among our parliamentary staff, which is drawn on, on an ad hoc basis.

  Members should make use of the allowances available to them to assist with their individual translation requirements.